Feeding and Nutrition :: is dry shrimp bad for turtle?

[swlin]

I went to a pet store a couple days ago to buy dry shrimp treats, but the person at the pet store said dry shrimp is bad for turtle. He recommended me to give my turtle the shrimp we normally eat. I just wanna know if what he said is true.

[Tenodera]

Dried shrimp and fresh shrimp are good as treats and treats only. They contain too much protein, so you can feed a small amount to your turtle once a month.

You can't always rely on the information of pet store employees...

Babies usually won't show much interest in veggies when they are still small, but just put some in every day or every other day and one day he'll get curious enough to eat it.

[swlin]

Thanks.

I feed my turtle 3 sticks a day. I would feed her 1 in the morning, 1 at lunch and 1 in the evening. Is this ok? Or is it better to feed her 3 sticks at one time? Do you think the way I feed her would cause constipation? I haven't seen her pooping for 1 week.

[Vtolds]

Feed her what will fit in her head twice a day.

[megcornell]

Usually turtles eat their poop, which is why you're probably not seeing any.
As for how much to feed, feed as many pellets as would fit in your turtle's head if it were hollowed out. You can divide that number of pellets into as many meals as you'd like, but that is how much your turtle should eat every day.
Also, try to start adding veggies to your turtle's diet. You can feed them daily.

[jtjordan]

i feed my turtle a mixture of pellets, baby crill, and baby shrimp and sure does love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[steve]

i feed my turtle a mixture of pellets, baby crill, and baby shrimp and sure does love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sure any RES would enjoy that... that doesn't make it an appropriate diet.

[jtjordan]

who cares, as long as its better than what he eats in the wild. turtles don't have to have an "appropriate diet"

[TheComputerGremlin]

jt - This animal isn't in the wild. You are holding him captive. He shouldn't necessarily eat better than he would in the wild (although he would have free range of as much fish and greens as he could find), but he needs an appropriate diet to be able to live healthy and long, after all, he should nearly outlive you. It's your responsibility to care for your animal as best as you can. It's just like if you owned a dog or cat. Dogs are good eaters and will eat themselves to death if you leave dry food out. You can decrease a dog's life by years by allowing them to eat whatever they want. Many argue that "at least he'll be happy", but owning a pet has to be a compromise between their happiness and your happiness. Would you want to have a dog that only lived a few years when you could have a companion for 15-20 years by feeding him correctly?? So, the dog doesn't get all of the yummy food he wants and you get to keep him longer, healthier. (And if you've ever had a dog, if dogs have too much "yummy" food, they barf it back up. Yum.)

[industrial_girl_2000]

who cares, as long as its better than what he eats in the wild. turtles don't have to have an "appropriate diet"

In the wild, your turtle would be eating pond plants, berries that fall in the water, leaves, fish, etc. This "wild diet" is actually more appropriate than just pellets, krill, and shrimp.

And every living thing needs an "appropriate diet" not just turtles.

[jtjordan]

In the wild, your turtle would be eating pond plants, berries that fall in the water, leaves, fish, etc. This "wild diet" is actually more appropriate than just pellets, krill, and shrimp.

ya if everything went right

[industrial_girl_2000]

In the wild, your turtle would be eating pond plants, berries that fall in the water, leaves, fish, etc. This "wild diet" is actually more appropriate than just pellets, krill, and shrimp.

ya if everything went right

Considering that you are a person, you can choose to give your turtle an appropriate diet. In the wild, there may not always be so much control, but in captivity, you DO have the ability to provide them with the variety in their foods to give them the best chance at being healthy.

[jtjordan]

lol good point